


The Price of Family

by SilentMusiic



Series: The Heart of Villainy [3]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Angst, Auradon Kids Eddie Stan & Ben, Auradon Prep (Disney), Descendants Au, Established Relationships - Reddie Stenbrough & Benverly, Fluff, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Kingdom politics, Multi, Not-So-Bad Villains, Not-So-Good Heroes, Referenced Child Abuse, United States of Auradon (Disney), VKs Richie Beverly Bill & Mike, alternate universe - descendants, king Eddie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23920663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentMusiic/pseuds/SilentMusiic
Summary: Richie knows where he belongs.Beverly started a new life.Bill has a new family.Mike found his home.Everything is great...except for those left behind.•Aka the third installment of the It Descendants AU that you might have asked for.(Follows Villains Never Change & Frozen Heart)
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: The Heart of Villainy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1703938
Comments: 30
Kudos: 80





	1. I See the Light

**Author's Note:**

> The sequel is here!!
> 
> I’m so excited to share this part of the story with you all and I hope you’re ready for this rollercoaster ride of a fanfic! 
> 
> To everyone who has supported VNC and FH, thank you so much! You guys inspire me to keep writing! I love every comment, hit, and kudos, so thank you for the love you gave the two previous parts of this AU and I hope you enjoy The Price of Family!

“Richie! Richie! Will you be taking your original name, Orion?”

Hell fucking no.

“Richie! How does Myra feel about your relationship with Prince Eddie?”

None of your damn business.

“Richie! What do you have to say about the rumor that the Villain Kids brought Yzma to Auradon?”

That it’s bullshit and you are just perpetuating villain kid stigma by spreading it.

It seemed like Richie was hounded by press everywhere he went now. The other VKs didn’t have to deal with this garbage, why did he?

...Well he is dating the king and was just revealed to be the son of two heroes, not a villainess. No big deal.

To be fair, Bill was receiving a bit of flak from the paparazzi, too, ever since some Arendellean asshole leaked a picture of Bill’s scarred back over the summer. The press were eating up the idea of Stan’s family taking him in over the summer as a charity case, which was, again, false. Anna and Kristoff met Bill and loved him because of who he chose to be, in spite of his trauma not because of it. He had taken to hiding out in Stan’s dorm for the time being, and one of the, now lovingly named, Losers was always there to walk with both Richie and Bill to classes until it all died down. The press tended to stay away when there was more than one of them.

Now, however, was one of the rare moments when Richie was completely and utterly alone.

And he had been swarmed immediately.

“No comment.” He muttered purely out of habit, pushing through the sea of cameras and microphones. He could see the doors to the academic hall no more than thirty feet ahead of him. He could make it if he tried hard enou-

“I believe my father prohibited the presence of press on campus except for special events. Richard, do you consider yourself a special event?”

Oh thank fuck for angels that take the form of short, hypochondriac, fish boys. 

“Why no, my dear Edward, I do not.”

Eddie smiled up at him before casting a look of utter hatred at the paparazzi and pointing them towards the campus exit. As they all grumbled their way off campus, Richie turned to an unsuspecting Eddie and wrapped his arms around his waist, picking him up and spinning him around in one of the most dramatic hugs possible. 

“My hero!” Richie cooed, his hands clasped together under Eddie’s thighs to hold him up.

“Put me down!” Eddie whined, laughing as he pushing halfheartedly at Richie’s chest.

“You love it, you little gremlin.”

“Yeah but I gotta keep up appearances somehow, Chee. People can’t see their king being carried around like a child.” Eddie spoke with a sort of sad tinge to his voice, almost as if he were apologizing for wanting to be held, not for keeping his image as regal and noble as he wanted it to be. His fingers were brushing small strands of hair away from Richie’s eyes, and a soft little smile graced his lips as he looked at him. The pair simply stood for a moment, savoring this unfortunately rare time where they could be together. 

Between Richie doing interviews, making up for lost time with his family, and trying to find Yzma and Eddie’s responsibilities as king, occasions when they could be together were few and far between, even during the summer in which their rooms were right beside each other, but almost always empty. It made the moments they could be together all the better, and Richie especially was longing for time alone with his boyfriend, considering he had experienced a brief time in which Eddie wasn’t in his life anymore. 

“Richie,” Eddie’s voice tugged Richie back into the moment, and he could feel his hands gently cupping his face, “there you are. Listen, I’ll see you after class. I just have a few things to do in my office today, and you’re welcome to be there, then it’s just you and me for the rest of the day.”

“Fucking finally.” Richie breathed out, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to Eddie’s lips as he pulled away to go to his classroom. “I’ll be there. See you later, Spaghetti.” 

Richie made good on his word and as soon as his class ended, he made a beeline for the large office that sat amongst the other administrators’ rooms on the opposite end of the campus. 

When he got there, he knew he had to be a sweaty mess standing in the doorway to Eddie’s office, huffing and puffing like he had just finished a marathon. Richie could hear the sweet sound of Eddie laughing as he collapsed on the golden loveseat right inside the door of his office.

“You didn’t have to actually run here, Chee.”

“I wasn’t gonna waste a damn second,” Richie turned his head to look over at Eddie, who continued writing something at his desk, “you look cute in your crown.”

“Thank you. Are you gonna just sit on the couch the whole time or?”

“Would his highness prefer I sit on his lap?” 

“His highness would appreciate that actually.” Richie could practically feel Eddie’s eyes raking over him and, with it being the relative middle of the day, it wasn’t like anyone would be coming in. So he took the chance, launching up from his place on the loveseat and crossing over to where Eddie was sitting, wasting absolutely no time in capturing his lips with his own. They spent only a few moments like this, Richie reaching up for Eddie’s tie-

“O-Oh uh...h-hey guys...”

Bill you fucking cockblock.

“Oh! Hi Bill, uh...what can I do for you?” Eddie asked sheepishly, straightening out his appearance while Richie stared daggers at Bill, mouthing, in no uncertain words, ‘I’m going to kill you’.

“Well um...a-a-actually Eddie I w-wanted to talk t-to you ab-b-bout possibly b-bringing over someone from...from the I-Isle?” Bill’s eyes kept flashing to the ground, and his arms were wrapped tightly around his stomach. If there was one thing Richie knew about Bill, it was that he was never nervous, and right now, he was nervous. But as he stood there, looking to the two of them, Richie realized that everyone Bill cared about was already here. The Isle had never really been his scene, a trait all four of them had shared, and so put on his air of false confidence to get through the day. There was no one else on the Isle for Bill...except there was, and Richie could kick himself for forgetting. 

“Oh my god, Georgie.”

Eddie looked between Bill and Richie in a state of confusion for a beat, before turning fully to Bill. “Who’s Georgie?”

Bill went to speak, but the words caught in his throat, Richie opened his mouth to explain for him, but Bill put a hand out for him to stop. He took a deep breath, and started again.

“Georgie is my little brother. He’s only ten. He only has me. I left him on the Isle when I thought this...this would be a quick job for us. But Auradon is our home now. And I...I can’t live here, I can’t be here, happy, until he’s here with me.” Bill was full-on begging now, and it was a look that Richie hadn’t seen on him before. After he had processed the look, he realized one more thing about what Bill had just said.

“Bill, you didn’t stutter.” Bill simply nodded, and turned his gaze back to Eddie, who had his fist clenched down by his sides, and was ever so slightly shaking his head.

“Bill I...I feel for you, really, I do...and I’m sorry but...I can’t.” Eddie looked Bill straight in the eyes as he spoke, and Richie was forced to bear witness as Bill broke.

“Eddie, I know you haven’t kn-known me long b-b-but he’s my baby b-brother he-he’s stuck there w-w-with my father and y-you have to have seen the p-p-pictures! You’ve s-s-seen what he d-did to me! He’s gonna d-d-do that to G-G-Georgie!”

“Bill, I hear you, and I’m so sorry about what your father did, but I can’t. With Yzma still around and with me just being crowned king I...I can’t bring any more VKs over. They’re still warming up to you four. It’ll divide the country. I’m sorry.” Eddie looked genuinely sorry, but the anguish in Bill’s eyes was evident, and it wasn’t going away any time soon. 

Bill started to nod slowly, as if he were coming to terms with Eddie’s decision right before their eyes. He was shaking, and tears were threatening to spill, but he said nothing, nodding faster and turning towards to door. When he got to the doorway, he murmured a ‘thank you for your time’, and left. 

Then it was just Richie and Eddie.

“What was that about? It’s just one kid, Eddie, would that really be so hard?” Richie asked, trailing behind Eddie until he went to sit back at his desk, rubbing his temples in an action that was far beyond his years.

“It’s not just one kid, there are checks and balances and repercussions even from bringing you four over that you don’t see. If we want to one day save all of the VKs, you need to trust me.” His writing was becoming more hurried, more frantic almost, as he spoke.

“I do trust you! But Georgie’s situation is special, he’s likely getting abused now that Bill has turned his back on the Isle and made a life here!”

“I’m done talking about it, Richie, there’s too much to work out, you don’t understand.”

“The kid’s only ten, Eds-“

“Chee, I can’t think about this right now-“

“It’s Bill’s little brother, he’s not gonna hurt an-“

Eddie pushed up off of his desk and stood behind it, gripping the desktop as if it were the only thing keeping him on the ground.

“I’m not letting any more _villains_ into my kingdom!” Eddie yelled, his voice loud enough that it echoed back at them in the room. He looked infuriated, as if nothing in the world could anger him more, but the anger broke.

When he saw Richie’s face.

Richie was utterly destroyed. Villains? That’s what he thought of them? After all this time...they were still just villains in his eyes, in the boy he loved’s eyes.

“‘Villains’? Like Bev? Or Bill? Or Mike or _me_?”

Eddie knew what he said had to have hurt Richie, and as he moved to get closer to him, he felt some of that pain come back at him when Richie flinched away.

“Richie, you know that’s not what I meant.”

Richie was getting angry, his voice only raising as he spoke.

“Oh I think I know what you meant. You don’t want any more cruel, ruthless villains like _me_ in your _precious kingdom_!”

Richie was marching towards the door, and Eddie found himself chasing him.

“Richie you’re not a villain-“

“I’m from the Isle!”

“But you’re not evil!”

Richie stopped at that comment, and the laugh he let out sent chills up Eddie’s spine. It didn’t sound like Richie. It was dark, and bitter, crafted by hatred and heartbreak. Richie turned to face Eddie, and the king watched as Richie’s eyes glowed a sickening, unnatural _gold_.

“You don’t know what I am, Eddie.”

They stared at each other for a beat, then Richie smiled in a way that only scared Eddie. 

“You know what? I’ll help you out. I’ll take a villain out of your kingdom. Maybe then all of your problems will go away. Good day... _your highness_.” Richie whipped around, almost out the door, when Eddie lunged forward and gripped his wrist.

“Richie wait-“

Only to have it snatched away.

“Don’t you fucking touch me,” the way he looked at Eddie, it was like he was nothing but a bug buzzing by his ear waiting to be squashed, “it’s like you said, Eddie Spaghetti,” 

He couldn’t see his Richie in the person in front of him.

“Villains never change.”

•••••

Richie charged out of the room, eyes blazing bright gold. 

He managed his way through the campus, avoiding suspicion enough until he opened the door to the wing where the VKs dorms were.

Everything was going fuzzy, but there was only a short distance between him and the cozy bedroom he shared with Bev. 

Bev was nice. Bev trusted him. Bev loved him. Bev was better than that imposter that was masquerading as his boyfriend.

He vaguely realized his door was opening.

He barely registered the arms that caught him, the voice that called out his name, asked him what was wrong, what happened.

He feels warm.

He feels...


	2. Reflection

“You didn’t see him, Mike, he looked like death...but those eyes...I only saw them for a second but there was nothing natural about them.”

Everything about him felt drained and devoid of energy. His eyes were leaden and wouldn’t open no matter how much he tried, but he could hear everything around him. He heard Bev, and Mike, and...Bill? There were three people in the room besides himself, that’s all he knew. Something he had learned quickly on the Isle was determining how many people were in a space based purely on sound. It had helped with his group’s thievery back then, but now it gave him at least some semblance of comfort. He knew his friends were around him. Although, a small part of him dreaded the possibility that it in fact wasn’t Bill standing with them, but Eddie. He couldn’t see...hear him right now, he wasn’t entirely sure his heart could take it. 

Richie heard Bev speaking and pacing, her heels clicking softly on the hardwood, the sound of someone shifting on the bed next to him, and another person every few moments pressing against something wooden. He liked to think it was Bill, checking that no one would come looking for all four VKs.

“Have you f-found anything yet, M-Mike?” Ok, good, it was Bill. He sounded a bit icier than usual, but he attributed that to the new pain of being unable to get to Georgie. Richie could just barely hear the sound of a book’s pages, or rather three books’, knowing Mike, flipping rapidly as Bil spoke, as if Mike’s search was becoming frantic.

“Not yet. There’s nothing on glowing eyes in any of the kingdoms’ histories, and I’d really enjoy not diving into ‘Auradon Myth and Lore’ if I can help it. That thing is a cinder block.” 

“You might have to. I have a feeling what happened to Richie is mythical considering it had the power to knock him out.”

There was only silence among the group for what felt like hours, but in the silence, Richie could feel the haze that kept him in his state of immobility start to lift, and he cautiously attempted to blink his eyes open. The intrusion of light hurt his eyes and as he glanced around between cautious blinks, he could see his assumption had been mostly correct, the other VKs were with him, but another presence that he had been previously unable to feel was gently brushing his hair back with their fingers, caressing his head with a reverent touch. For a moment, Richie let himself lean into the touch, giving himself time to fully pull out of the unconsciousness that had engulfed him before. The touch was soft, loving, and Richie even welcomed it as he rejoined reality, not thinking to who would be holding him with all of the VKs accounted for. 

“Chee? Are you awake?”

The voice broke the spell.

Richie’s eyes flew open, uncaring of the sharp false pain that the sudden exposure caused his eyes as he shoved himself away from Eddie. The king had the audacity to look shocked at Richie’s actions, as if he had no reason to behave the way he was. 

“What are you doing here?!” Richie barked, trying to put as much space between himself and Eddie as possible. Seeing him there, laying next to him like they did so many times before, Richie saw a new person. He saw someone who thought the Isle held only cruelty. Someone who couldn’t see the difference between a villain and someone who did what they had to in order to survive. Someone who was just like every other Auradonian who saw them as the scum of the Earth. Even if he cared about the VKs, he showed no emotion towards the ones that were left behind.

All eyes were on them, and Richie caught a glance of Bill inching closer to them, ready to protect as always. Eddie’s hands were up in an almost protective gesture, to which Richie just scoffed. As much as what the king had said hurt him, he still loved him with all of his heart, and the thought of laying a hand on him made him sick. 

  
  


“Bev called me and told me you fainted, what was I supposed to do, not show up?” Eddie asked softly, although Richie could see the ache behind the words, the regret flooding his usually cheery voice. It struck a chord, but it wasn’t loud enough to forgive him so easily. It would be great, to have someone to hold close and soothe his frazzled mind as the five of them puzzled through the possibilities, through whatever this was that ailed him. But Richie knew that he couldn’t forgive so quickly. He knew if he pulled Eddie against his chest and let out every way his words hurt, it wouldn’t be enough. Richie knew the pain would be there. The anxiety would be there, festering until it exploded again somewhere down the line.

“After what you said, I would’ve preferred you hadn’t.”

Bill was closer now, just at the edge of the bed, one hand placed carefully onto the footboard, but on Eddie’s side. It was a clear offer to Richie. ‘I’ll get him out of here, give me the word.’ As much as Richie would love to witness Bill in all his jacket-covered muscles toss the king of Auradon out on his ass, Richie had a few words of his own first. He opened his mouth to speak, but was swiftly interrupted by Bev, who stepped up beside Bill to look at him.

“One, I’m glad you’re awake, Richie, we were getting worried. Two, what...what did you say, Eddie?” 

With the weight of four sets of VK eyes on him, Eddie started to crack. He frantically searched for support in any of their watchful gazes but found only anger, rejection, confusion, and curiosity. He was alone in a room full of the children of villains.

“I...Bill asked me to bring his brother to Auradon,” Bev’s eyes widened, and she looked to Bill, having a silent conversation with him that read ‘we’ll talk later’, “and I said no...because I can’t. At least not right now.” Eddie stared up at Bill, who matched the gaze with one full of hatred. Richie may have loved Eddie, may have fallen for bambi eyes and tousled dark hair, but Bill had no reason to give pause or mercy. His eyes were daggers jabbing right into Eddie’s soul, colder and darker than they had ever been. Bill scoffed at him, Bev covered her mouth with a hand, clearly going through the same emotions that Richie had when Bill brought up the topic in the office, Mike simply stared, always the one to try to dig deeper into the conversation.

“Richie wouldn’t treat you like that over Georgie. Bill, I can understand, but you had to have done something. So what did you say?” Mike was leaning forward now, clearly interested in the situation, and Bev had settled her eyes back onto the king, moving towards Richie to place a steadying hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t even realized he was shaking.

“I...I said something I shouldn’t have. Something built on stress and-and pressure. It was wrong and it wasn’t what I truly believed.” Eddie was staring at Richie as if no one else was in the room. Those big, pleasing eyes that urged Richie to surge back into Eddie’s arms and demand affection as an apology. An offer Richie should accept. He  _ wanted _ to hold him. He  _ wanted  _ that love that had surrounded him to the point of suffocation since the coronation. He  _ wanted  _ Eddie.

But he couldn’t.

Because anger seldom lies.

“If it wasn’t true, why were you able to look me in the eyes and call me, call us and all of the Isle, villains?” Richie heard the gasps, felt Beverly tense, and watched Bill haul Eddie off the bed by his collar. 

“Bill, don’t!” Mike called out, standing from his chair and rushing to Bill’s side, “We’re not villains, don’t give him reason to think we are.” All of the fight Bill had left in him seemed to melt away. He let go of Eddie and fell into Mike, wiping at tears that hadn’t fallen yet. Bev had her arms wrapped around Richie from behind, her face buried in his hair. Richie could feel her choked, silent sobs.

“I’m sorry. To all of you, I...I’m sorry. Richie,” the boy in question glanced up with a chilly expression, “you know I love you.” The words were sweet, but they stung Richie’s heart and left a bad taste in his mouth, “Bev, Mike, Bill...you mean the world to me. You made my closest friends happier than I’ve seen them in a long time. I trust you all with my life.” Eddie was wringing his hands slowly, one of his nervous tics he had developed from years of pressure and responsibilities as heir to the throne. “I’ll...show myself out.” He hung his head low, moving slowly passed the group to the door. 

When he was gone, they broke.

Bev let herself cry fully, pulling away from Richie’s hair and choosing instead to hide her face in her hands. She was very obviously the one most affected by the revelation. Several times over their stay in Auradon, Bev had made it known how happy she was to finally feel like she belonged somewhere. Auradon was her home, where she could put away the facade she wore on the Isle for their jobs and when they were around other people. To be told that even the person who had saved them, who became one of their closest friends and confidants, saw them as the horrid people they came from. Her hair started to flicker to life, the ends starting to emit a soft glow that the three boys had become used to finding and stopping as quickly as possible.

“Bevvie, you’re flickering, you have to calm down.” Richie murmured, taking her hand in his and massaging the back of it with his thumb. 

“I don’t care. I can’t believe he…”

“I know honey, I know…”

The pair startled when Bill slammed his hands down on Richie’s desk, staring out at the window that ironically faced the Isle. In the reflection of the window, the trio could see, plain as day, the way his face was streaked with tears.

“I’m done with this.” Bill whispered, staring at the rows of lights that lit Auradon’s streets all the way to where the bridge to the Isle would be, “He refuses to save a child. He calls us fucking villains. He thinks that his lame apology will fix everything...no.” Bill took a deep breath, his hands curling into fists on the desk. “If he wants to think we’re villains, then let’s be villains.”

He didn’t stutter once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, check out my Instagram @silentmusiic for character refs and to see how I envision some of these scenes or message me if you want to talk about It, Descendants, or anything in between!!


	3. Into the Unknown

“That is the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard...I’m going with you.”

“The hell you are.”

“The hell I’m not, Bill.”

Bill had found his way to Stan’s room that very night. The pair were once again crowded onto Stan’s bed, coiled closely together as if that moment together would be their last. The VKs had apparently split up to take care of their own business before they put their plan into action. A very illegal plan that would likely not end well for anyone involved, in Stan’s humble opinion.

“How the hell did you think you were going to get across the divide? Hmm? Mike doesn’t have a spell to fly you over I presume? What, were you just gonna have Richie sing the healing incantation until you could swing over the ocean like Tarzan? Seriously, babe, you’re gonna need my help.”

Stan fully expected to be met with protests from Bill, but when he looked back to his boyfriend after the mini tangent, he found only a fond smile staring back at him. God, he was such a sap.

“What’s with the look?”

Bill shifted slightly to rest his head on a propped up hand, the dopey grin never leaving his face. “I love you so much.”

Stan could feel the undoubtedly very visible heat rush to his cheeks at the unprompted comment. Even after all the time they’d spent together, he still wasn’t used to hearing Bill say that he loved him. It wasn’t as if he doubted Bill’s feelings for him- quite the opposite, really- he revelled in the love that Bill gave. Something about the way the boy was so sure in his affection, so certain that Stan had his heart...it wasn’t something that he had experienced outside of his family, and even they kept their circle admittedly small. It wasn’t even just Bill either. With the arrival of the VKs and their immediate connections they formed with each other, he was almost constantly around people who loved him with their entire hearts. It was completely new, and Stan loved it. He loved his friends, he loved  _ Bill _ , and he was going to do everything in his power to keep them safe.

Even if that included going along with this whackjob plan.

“I love you too. Now let’s go, I’m sure the others are already waiting.”

*****

Stan had been right, as usual, the VKs  _ were  _ waiting on them. Mike was in the midst of a purple cloud of smoke, crouched in front of a small cauldron with a few dozen bottles in varying degrees of fullness and color surrounding him. Beverly was quickly making amends to what appeared to be cloaks and jackets that had been torn purely for the sake of decoration, sewing up the patches and holes in the dark fabric. Richie was...well there was no other word for it, he was sulking. 

All of them did the same thing when Bill and Stan appeared hand-in-hand. They looked to Stan, then to Bill with much more exasperated expressions, and they did so with a synchronicity that was borderline creepy. 

“Bill-” Mike started with a sigh, still managing to pour whatever potion was currently in the cauldron into a vial with shocking precision. 

“I told him he wasn’t going anywhere without me. I want to help you guys, and I think you’re gonna need it.” Stan glanced back and forth between the VKs, attempting to gauge their reactions to the fact that he would be joining them. There was a thick silence that made Stan almost want to curl in on himself. It felt like pure scrutiny as the four conversed silently. After what felt like hours, Richie turned to Stan, looking completely pissed.

“Any chance you could magic up an ice boat?” 

“Uh yeah? That’s the whole point?” Stan responded incredulously, swirling a finger in the air and willing the ice at his fingertips to manifest itself in the water behind Beverly. It wasn’t much, but it was sturdy enough for all five of them to be carried over. The ice boat looked like a canoe, shimmering like crystal under the moonlight. In any other circumstance, Stan would be proud of his handiwork. It was certainly no three story ice palace but give him a break, he’s only seventeen so he’s got at least seven years to build his first ice abode. For now though, ice boats to illegally carry the children of villains to the literal home of every villain that ever lived would have to do. 

“Gotta say, I’m vaguely impressed. Make sure not to melt the boat, Bev, we need it.”

“Bite me, Trashmouth.”

Mike wrapped up whatever potion he had been making in the cauldron, bundling his supplies into a relatively ball-shaped object and standing to stash in under the tree that Richie had been standing at while Beverly started to distribute cloaks. She smiled at Stan and tossed him a pure black cloak, whispering something along the lines of ‘good thing I made an extra’ before following Richie and Mike into the boat. As soon as they were out of earshot, Bill turned to Stan and placed his hands on either side of Stan’s face in an attempted comforting gesture. 

“Ok Frost, this is it. This is the point of no return. What we’re about to do is extremely illegal. Like…has-the-possibility-to-get-us-all-banished illegal. You can turn back now and be safe and we’ll do what we have to do. You don’t have to be involved.”

“Bill, I love you, but you do understand that the point of no return was the second I made that boat, right? I’m an accomplice now. If you get caught after you use that boat, they’ll be able to pick up traces of my magic on you. I’m going. End of story. Now let’s go.”

Stan grabbed onto Bill’s wrist and tugged him towards the boat. Until that moment, it hadn’t crossed Stan’s mind that he was going somewhere no Auradon kid had gone before; The Isle. 

*****

The trip to the Isle was silent. Not a word between the five of them was said, and Stan took up the position of rower after they all realized that not only did they not have an oar, but that he was the only one who could hold any oar he created for long periods of time without getting hypothermia or frostbite or some other affliction relating to skin and it’s animosity towards ice. 

The trip wasn’t long, but the tension was palpable. Richie was pissed off for some reason which Bill had simply described as ‘relationship problems’. Bev was running her hands through the water as they moved through it, letting the slightly chilled ocean slip between her fingers, but it was clear that she was missing Ben, especially with Stan having joined them on this adventure and Ben clearly having been left to his own devices. Mike had his nose tucked into a thick, leatherbound book that radiated power, even from the opposite end of the large boat. Whatever that book contained, it piqued his magic’s interest. Bill was drumming his fingers on Stan’s leg. His eyes never left the formidable shape of the Isle growing ever closer. 

When they finally hit the barrier, Mike’s attention moved from the book to the invisible-until-touched wall. He opened up the backpack he had slung over his shoulders when they left, and rifled through the pack for a quick moment before pulling out a large bottle.

“Stan the man, I’m gonna need some ice here in a second. As soon as this thing goes purple, shoot it. Full force, no holding back. Got it?”

Stan nodded, letting the frost that he usually used to make designs in the air coat his palms, over the years, he found that doing so amplified his abilities, and decided that following Mike’s instructions was going to be pivotal here. Mike uncorked the bottle in his hands, but turned his face away as he splashed the dark blue liquid onto the barrier. The liquid glistened in it’s midnight form for a moment before lighting up a vibrant purple. Stan pulsed all of his magic through his hands, sending it careening into the barrier, which shattered with a crash. 

“We’re in.” Richie muttered, glancing around and finding a slope of the island that looked climbable, and started to move from rock to rock, shifting until he got to the top then turning around to help the others up. Before Bill could climb though, Stan laced their fingers together and held a hand out to the boat, thawing it away into purely ocean water again.

“Why’d you need me for that?” Bill questioned softly.

“Love thaws. C’mon, they’re waiting for us.”

As the pair climbed up behind the others, they found that Richie, Beverly, and Mike were standing stock still at the top, staring off straight ahead. Before the group was a trio comprised of two boys and a girl, all of whom seemed anything but friendly. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” The tallest questioned, taking a confident step forward.

“Looks like the princes and princess came back to play with the villains.” The girl sneered.

Richie scowled at all three of them, moving his arms out slightly in a protective stance that seemed almost instinctual as he spoke only loud enough for the four of them to hear. 

“God fucking damn it, I hate these assholes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!!
> 
> Message me on Instagram @silentmusiic if you want to scream about It, Descendants, musicals, or anything in between with me!!


	4. God Help the Outcasts

“They’re doing  _ what _ ?”

“I’m seriously breaking the love of my life’s trust here by telling you this, so you didn’t hear it from me but...but they need all the help they can get. The way Bev made it sound...this plan is unstable. It’s going to crash and burn as soon as it starts and…” Ben looked up at Eddie with the sincerest gaze that Eddie had ever seen on him. This was more important than anything to him, “and I can’t lose her, Eddie. I doubt you could lose Richie. They need help.”

Eddie sighed softly, turning away and averted his eyes, unable to look at the other boy. Ben had cornered him in the garden, looking as frazzled as Eddie felt. His mind had been jumbled ever since that morning. Between the fight with Richie and the VKs kicking him out and god, the looks on their faces, he hadn’t had a moment where he wasn’t berating himself, wishing he knew how to show that he didn’t believe what he’d said. 

Truly, Eddie couldn’t even believe he’d said that in the first place. It was his idea to bring the VKs to Auradon after all, he of all people knew they weren’t villains, hell he even loved one of them. That was the other cruel joke of this situation that drove the stake in Eddie’s heart even deeper. That damn piece of sea glass burning a hole in his pocket, waiting for the right moment to stop living in a silk pouch and make a new home on the finger of one very specific, bespectacled boy. But now...now all Eddie wanted was Richie. He wanted to wipe away the pain he’d caused and the words that had stumbled forth in a fit of anger. 

Ben had apparently just met with Beverly, who had laid out a plan to him that sounded exactly like what four angry, irrational teenagers would come up with. 

“There’s no way for me to get to them, to  _ help _ them. I can’t cross the divide without bringing unwanted attention to them.” Ben explained, attempting to tamp down the obvious anger he felt at leaving them helpless. 

“And you think I  _ do _ have a way to help them?”

Ben stared at Eddie, narrowing his eyes in a look of obvious exasperation. “Eddie, we both know that you can-”

“No way. I love the VKs but there is no fucking way.”

“Eddie.”

“I’m serious Ben, have you  _ seen _ that water? Do you have any idea how much bacteria is in there?”

“C’mon Eddie, seriously?”

“It’s so fucking filthy! There’s no chance in hell I’m doing it!”

“Would you ever forgive yourself if Richie got hurt because you weren’t there?” God damn it, Ben, you just had to play that card.

Eddie breathed a sigh, glancing up at Ben, who was smirking like the cat who got the cream. He knew that he was right, after all. The VKs needed help, and Eddie had such help to offer. A small part of his mind noted that maybe this was what he needed to do, the extra bit of selfless action to show just how far he was willing to go to keep them safe. These were his friends, the only people who he could say he truly trusted with his life. So if he trusted them so fully, why hesitate? The answer was simple; there was no reason to. 

“Okay. I’m going.”

“Good, I knew you’d come around to-”

“And you’re coming with me.”

*****

“How exactly is this gonna work again?” Ben muttered, looking over at where Eddie was fiddling with what appeared to be a golden shell attached to a long, matching chain. The pair had made their way to the edge of Auradon, right where the water of the divide washed onto the shore. It would be easy enough for Eddie to get to the Isle, but managing to bring Ben along was another story. 

“This is my sister’s shell. She gave it to me when she left to help establish a new Pixie Hollow for the fairies. Said she had a feeling I’d have more use for it than she would. Turns out old Mel was right.” Eddie gave the shell another once-over before pressing the small button on the hinge. The shell popped open, and a small hologram of Atlantica appeared. Over Eddie’s shoulder, Ben could see that the lower half of the shell held a small amount of what appeared to be water, but seeing how useful Eddie felt the object was, Ben doubted that it was only your garden-variety ocean water in that shell. 

“Ok, we’re just about ready to-”

“What the hell do you two think you’re doing?”

Eddie and Ben whipped around to face who the voice belonged to, and were frankly surprised to be met with the faces of Myra and Betty. Eddie should’ve figured if one were here, then the other would be, too. They’d been basically attached at the hip ever since all of the drama with Richie had started. Eddie could recall a specific moment where, he believed, that the girls truly clicked and shifted from Myra and Betty to Myra-and-Betty.

Myra had been sitting- or rather, hiding- in the library at Auradon Prep, and Betty had spotted her from across the room. Eddie had been looking for material on the sundrop flower at the time, and could vaguely hear Betty tell her something along the lines of “sorry my mom’s cameras are always on you”. Up until then, Betty didn’t seem to have anyone to go to. She was always alone, always by herself or hiding away somewhere where she wouldn’t be seen. It hadn’t crossed his mind before, but Eddie realized then that having Snow White, the kingdom’s most notorious gossip reporter, as a mother may be detrimental to any real friendships. Luckily for her, Myra had experienced being in the limelight all her life. Even when she was born, there was press hounding her existence as she was Rapunzel and Eugene’s only child after Richie, then Orion, was kidnapped. The two of them fit together like puzzle pieces. They weren’t exactly the same, but they fit, and Eddie had truly never seen Myra so happy. 

The fact that they were here wasn’t what concerned him, but that they were here in the middle of the night was what piqued Eddie’s interest. 

“Myra? Betty? What are you two even doing here?”

“I asked you first.” Myra’s gaze drifted down to the shell in Eddie’s hand and every ounce of defensive energy seemed to evaporate from her body. “Is that Melody’s shell? You said you were only going to use it for emergencies. Eddie, what’s going on?” Eddie opened his mouth to explain, only hesitating when he caught out of the corner of his eye the way that Betty’s hands curled around Myra’s arm in a comforting gesture. 

“The VKs are in trouble. We’re going to help.” He spoke quickly, Stuffing some of the materials he had previously laid out into a glossy, waterproof bag that he slung over his shoulder, urgency now filling his movements. 

“The VKs...like my brother? My  _ brother _ is in  _ danger _ and you were not only going to  _ leave me behind _ but you weren’t even going to  _ tell  _ me?!” 

“Myra, you have to understand, this is dangerous, we’re going to the Isle. I don’t want to put you in harm’s way.”

“Richie may be your boyfriend but he’s  _ my _ brother. We’re going, too.”

Eddie sighed but motioned the pair over to himself and Ben nevertheless. 

“It’s not going to be easy, especially since none of you are going to be used to this,” Eddie explained softly, clicking the shell open again after having closed it when Myra and Betty appeared. 

“You never did say exactly how this works, Eddie.” Betty pointed out, staring down at the shell with a mix of curiosity and confusion.

“I will in a second. We’re gonna want to be closer to the water though.” The four moved quickly, following Eddie’s lead as he sat down only inches from where the water of the divide rolled up onto the shore. “The water in this shell is straight from Atlantica, enchanted by my grandfather, King Triton. I don’t need it to do what we have to do, but you guys will. Considering you all followed me down here, I’m pretty sure you know what’s happening next.” He chuckled at the combination of a groan of annoyance from Myra and a soft ‘oh hell yeah’ from Betty. Carefully, Eddie tipped the slightest amount of the water out of the shell and into his hand, preparing to throw it and clearly aiming it at the girls.

“If this ruins my dress, Edward, I swear I will end you,” Myra muttered, a few drops of the water landing on her and Betty no more than a second later. A purple and red light engulfed Myra and Betty respectively, a pale green light following for Ben moments after. As their lights began to fade, Eddie slid himself further into the water, hummed a few notes that he had heard his mother sing so much that they were ingrained into his mind, and let the usual feeling of his transformation wrap around him. 

Eddie blinked his eyes open to a choir of ‘oh my god’s and ‘what the fuck’s. Glancing around, he saw that all four of them had safely shifted into merpeople. He made a mental note to thank Melody for her shell. 

“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? Everybody good with our new method of traveling?”

The three of them seemed panicky for all of forty-five seconds before calming down and appearing to settle into their temporary forms.

“Good. Now let’s go guys, we’re going to have to be fast to catch up with the others. Are you ready?”

Ben, Myra, and Betty glanced to each other, then back to Eddie. They nodded, and the four swam off through the divide. All the while, Eddie could only think one thing.

‘We’re coming, guys, hold on just a little while longer.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, it's still Mer-May, right?
> 
> If you want to scream about It, Descendants, or anything in between and see artwork for this series, check out my Instagram @silentmusiic


	5. Once Upon A Dream

“What’s the matter, Richie? Did you miss us so much that you just  _ had _ to come home?” The girl sneered, stepping to be only a few inches away from him with a devious smirk on her lips. When she was met only with silence, she took it as a cue to continue poking the bear, “Or maybe was it just that your new little boy toy wasn’t enough for you? Awe, poor Richie, guess the TV paints a different picture of you and Prince Ed-”

“You keep his name out of your mouth, Greta.”

“There’s that attitude! Now let’s see, we have the usual suspects, you, B-B-Billy, Princess of Hard-Ons, and the orphan, but,” Greta drew out the ‘uh’ as she moved around to get closer to Stan, “I don’t think I’ve encountered this one before. What, your band of misfits wasn’t large enough already? You had to get another one?” She tossed the comment over her shoulder to the two men, who immediately responded with a laugh as if this were a joke they had made together many times before. As Greta turned back to face them, her eyes flickered down to where Bill had laced his fingers with Stan’s protectively.

“Well, well, well, I should’ve known that if anyone was going to go to that pretty pink island and go soft for one of those prep boys, it would be you, B-B-B-Billy. So who is this, hmm? You got a name, Curly?” Stan didn’t respond, so she huffed, clearly exasperated, and returned her attention to Bill, “I wonder how Hans would take the news that his precious son is a fairy?” Bill said nothing, but he could feel the tremor in Stan’s hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. The VKs knew that Greta was mostly talk, but Stan had never had to deal with her before. It was obvious that he would be nervous around someone who seemed to know them and their weaknesses like the back of her hand. 

In a movement that was far too quick for any of their likings, Greta was in Bev’s face, a dagger she had pulled from her belt pressed to her neck in a clear threat. “And what about you, slut? You start up a new harem in Auradon?” Bev’s withering gaze would have scared anyone away. Anyone except Greta, apparently, who took it as a challenge to see just how many of Bev’s buttons she could push. Richie could see the smoke starting on the tips of Bev’s hair, and knew that the girl wouldn’t be able to take much more of the trio’s prodding. He sincerely hoped that Greta would give up on Bev soon, for all their sakes. Greta seemed to have noticed the smoke, too, though. She knew what it would lead to, and knew she was on the right track. “No, that’s right, you only managed to get that fat freak to buy that innocent Bevvie bullshit.” The ends of Bev’s hair were starting to flicker. “We don’t buy that shit here. We know the real you, Bev, the part of your existence that you try so hard to hide. But it’s all coming back now, isn’t it? The anger, the resentment, the truth? We know who you are Bev. Right, Patrick?” Bev’s fists were clenched tightly at her sides and her breathing was becoming heavier, she was trying so hard to keep from-

Patrick’s voice finally rose up, “I’ve got to say, I’ve missed my little sister.”

Flaming up. 

Bev’s flames were always a spectacle. Her hair’s fiery red was no random act of nature or genetics. Her red came from her  _ flames.  _ They were relatively easy for her to hide, as there was very little that could push her anger to the point of flaming up. But Greta? Greta knew how to push her to the point of losing control. Knew exactly what to say that Bev would never stand for. Her friends, Ben, and the reminder of her only connection to the Isle; her parents. 

_ “I’m not your fucking sister!” _ Bev screamed, the red locks of hair shooting up into wisps of deep red fire. She was all aglow and her hands were splayed out, similar balls of flame forming in each hand, Patrick mirrored her, the red and blue flames lighting up the darkness of the street.

“Awe man, I’ve been waiting for this fight!” The last member of the trio cheered, pulling a bow and arrow out of the quiver that was slung over his back and aiming the weapon directly at Mike, who instantly reached for his backpack to grab one of the potions he’d made for the trip. 

“Rich? You doin’ okay, buddy?” Mike muttered, glancing over to see Richie’s eyes beginning to flicker gold, the same way Bev had described when Richie had come back to the dorm. He was curling his hands up into fists, almost as if he were building up to the attack. It was a kind of innate violence that Mike had never seen from him before, and for the first time, Mike was  _ scared  _ of Richie.

No one made a move. The VKs had adopted fighting stances, with flames, potions, sword, and even  _ ice _ ready to go, the trio had flames, a dagger, a bow and arrow...but nothing happened. There wasn’t even a breath between the groups. Greta smirked. 

“Patrick, Henry, stand down. This battle will happen another day.” She turned around and immediately the two boys followed her like lost puppies. With one last look over her shoulder, she shot a simple “Welcome home,” to the others and left with Patrick and Henry in tow. The VKs gave a collective sigh of relief, and Bev turned her attention to where Richie’s eyes were still glowing, but now tears were rolling down his cheeks. She rushed to stand in front of him, brushing the tears away and letting him almost fall into her arms instinctively. 

“Let’s get out of here. Now that Greta knows we’re here, it won’t be long before the whole Isle does, too. I’m taking him to the hideout. Mike, come with me, Bill and Stan, go find Georgie. The sooner we get back home, the better.” Bev commanded, naturally slipping into the leader role she assumed when Richie was otherwise occupied. Mike bounded up to where Bev was holding Richie, and the pair slung one of his arms over each of their shoulders before heading down a dark alleyway with surprising speed. 

Bill and Stan watched them go, and as soon as they were out of sight, Stan tugged Bill close and breathed raspy breaths into his neck as he choked back tears. Bill held Stan tightly against his chest, shushing him quietly and pressing gentle kisses to the mass of curls on his head. “It’s okay Frost, I’ve got you, it’s over.”

“I’ve never...I’ve never been that close to having to use my magic  _ against  _ someone...I don’t want to do that to  _ anyone _ , Bill, they called Elsa a monster they’ll...they’ll think I’m a monster…” Stan muttered, curling into Bill and clutching at his shirt as he pulled in deep breaths. 

“Love, n-no one will f-f-force you to use your m-magic against anyone, and n-no one will th-th-think you’re a  _ monster _ . Arendelle l-loves Elsa, they love  _ you _ . Auradon l-l-loves you,” Bill pulled away ever so slightly, tilting up Stan’s head so that their eyes met, and his heart skipped a beat when Stan immediately smiled looking at him, “ _ I _ love you.” Stan surged forward to press his lips against Bill’s, and even though they’d kissed hundreds of times, Bill found himself able to get lost in the moment every single time. He would’ve preferred to enjoy this particular instance a bit longer, but from his left, he heard the vague sound of a splash coming from where they had entered the Isle and broken the barrier. 

In a swift movement, Bill pulled away from the kiss, pushed Stan behind him, and pulled his sword from its scabbard, ready to face whatever was about to rise from the depths of-

“Oh my god, Bill, don’t stab, it’s just us!”

“Eddie?”

*****

“Easy there, Rich, just settle down.”

Bev and Mike had gotten Richie back to their old hideout relatively quickly and were thankful that no one seemed to have discovered their old home in their absence. It was an old loft, tucked into one of the dingy, apartment-esque buildings close to their home. Close enough that they could get home quickly, far enough away that their parents wouldn’t find it, high enough that no one would stumble into it. It was perfect, and after twelve years of using it, they’d had more than enough time to not only make it secure, but to make it comfortable enough to be their safe haven. Or, in this case, take care of an ailing VK. 

“Bev, are...are we in the hideout? How did we get here?” Richie muttered, leaning into the softness of one of the pillows Bev had handmade for the space. He reached up to press a hand to his forehead, wincing slightly as the pressure made the pain only worsen. Richie glanced at the place they had left behind, and he was hit with the waves of nostalgia it provided. He remembered rushing in here after a job and instantly collapsing on this couch, he could see the phantom Beverly and Bill trailing behind him while Mike locked up. He felt the first time Bill staggered into the room later than usual, his arms wrapped around himself tightly as he dropped, remembered the tears soaked into hardwood as Bill told his story of going too far, of being able to handle the pain until then. He remembered getting the letters saying they were going to Auradon, intercepting them before they could get to their parents, and meeting in this room letting out peals of laughter and joy. 

His mind wandered back across the bridge, across the divide to Auradon. Richie thought back to seeing a girl he hadn’t known would become one of his best friends hanging on the arm of a boy he never thought he’d love. Thought to the adoration in Bill’s eyes the moment Stan caught him, the way Bev’s usual smirk melted into a dreamy smile when Ben walked in the room. He relived the moment of holding tight to the love of his life, who had lost his own in Richie’s arms, the moment of truth, the moment when Richie was no longer the son of Gothel, but instead a hero, a princess’ son. 

Losing Eddie...had it been permanent, had he lost him then, he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself for causing such a vibrant light to be snuffed out so early. Wouldn’t have been able to live without the little psycho in his arms every day. Eddie...what would happen if Richie were stuck here? If Richie  _ died _ here? Would he feel content leaving this world knowing the last thing he said to Eddie was an accusation? A reminder of the rare moment when Eddie lost his temper and said words that Richie knew deep down he didn’t really mean?

Richie found himself wishing more than anything to just go home. To go back to his greatest problem being which path to take to shake paparazzi. He wanted…

“Richie, are you with me, babes?” Bev’s voice infiltrated his reminiscing, and he felt his eyes involuntarily seek her out. There she was, his best friend, the girl who’d always been there for him. She who had held him through every question of whether he belonged on the Isle, who only ever had kind words to give and the occasional sarcastic retort. Still there, still caring for him even now. 

“Sorry, I was just...thinking…” Richie said under his breath, seeing Mike close up the loft and looking for their fourth out of pure instinct, he felt his heart start to pick up speed at Bill’s apparent absence. “Where’s Bill? Where’s Stan? Are-Are they okay? Are they hurt? After...After Greta… where…” Richie started to stumble towards a complete thought but found himself unable to move away from the idea of Bill or Stan or both of them being hurt somewhere, being taken as some sort of prisoner by Greta, being found by Hans and having old scars reopened. 

Bev’s hands on his shoulders pulled him from his brief moment of panic, and as she stooped down to be eye level with Richie, his heartbeat slowly returned to normal. 

“Bill and Stan are fine. We almost got into a fight with Greta, but she called off her dogs and your eyes started to go gold again. Mike and I brought you here to rest while Bill and Stan went to get Georgie. Everything’s going to be okay. We’re all safe. Mike is trying to figure out what’s up with your eyes.”

“I know that I need glasses already, Dr. Crims,” Richie commented, tilting his thick-rimmed glasses down to look at Bev over them.

“She means the fact that your eyes glow gold, dumbass.” Mike spoke up, still focusing the majority of his attention on the book in his grasp, “Which I think I found  _ something _ out about at least.” He stood and marched over to where Bev and Richie were, sitting down at Richie’s feet, “As far as I can tell, your glow starts up in moments of extreme anger. First when you fought with Eddie, and then again when Greta was trying to get a rise out of everyone. Both times, the glow has used all of your energy and caused you to faint. I’ll be able to find out more when we’re home and I can do more efficient research than just one book and what I’ve experienced, so try to keep from getting too angry until we’re back in Auradon.”

“Easier said than done,” Bev remarked, earning a soft punch in the shoulder from Richie.

“How long do you think it’ll be for Bill and Stan to get back?” Richie asked, being answered by the door to the hideout swinging open.

“I’d say not too long,” Mike said, looking over at where Bill walked in with Stan trailing just behind. The pair stopped in the doorway, glancing at Richie and then to each other.

“So we have g-g-good news and bad n-news. Which do you w-want first?” Bill asked the room, still making a point to stand in front of the door. When Bev answered for everyone with a “bad news”, Bill ran a hand over his face and spoke. “So we’re g-gonna need some m-m-more time getting G-G-Georgie.”

“What’s the good news?”

“We uh,” Bill looked over his shoulder, then finally moved out of the doorway, “w-w-we have some help?”

Richie was pretty shocked to see Myra, Betty, and Ben walk through the door, Ben almost immediately being tackled in a hug from Bev, but when the last member of their new team stepped through the door, Richie found himself doing the exact same thing. With tears in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around a form he had gotten very used to hugging. 

“Eds…”

“Chee...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> As always, feel free to scream about It, Descendants, or anything in between with me on my Instagram @silentmusiic!!


	6. Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long everyone, and that it's pretty short for my usual chapters. Hope you all enjoy!

Eddie was crying.

His attempt at holding up a strong facade completely melted the very moment that Richie’s arms were around him, and he let himself bury his face into Richie’s shoulder to muffle the rather pathetic sniffling. Eddie had fully anticipated that he would walk into the room and Richie would throw him into the ocean the moment he saw him. He never expected that he would be holding him close and pressing his face in his hair, with only vaguely audible sobs spilling forth from him as well.

Eddie deserved to be ignored, he deserved to be forgotten and tossed away because who the fuck says something akin to what he had said to Richie to the people they love? He deserved anything and everything bad in this world, he didn’t deserve Richie. 

He could barely hear either of them speaking. Their voices were mixing and it was hard to say who was telling the other what. Both of them were spewing forth muddled ‘I’m sorry’s and ‘I love you’s and gripping tightly onto each other’s shirts, too afraid to let go for fear of being separated again. Sometime very soon after they pulled ever so slightly apart, Richie was grabbing Eddie’s chin and tilting his head up so that their severely reddened eyes met, tugging him back in again to silence both of their sobs with a kiss that seared hotter than Beverly’s flames. 

Eddie suddenly remembered that they weren’t alone, and pulled back to glance around at the rest of their group, only to find that Bev and Ben had followed a less tearful version of their actions and Bill, Stan, Myra, and Betty were chatting happily on the couch Richie had occupied prior. Clearly the group had recognized that the pair needed their moment, and Eddie couldn’t be more thankful for that. Richie looked with him, but never moved too far from Eddie’s side, keeping one arm protectively around his waist as he turned a quizzical eye to Myra. 

“Myra? What the hell are you doing here? Bell Boy and Eds,” Eddie bit back his usual comment at the nickname, “I understand, but why are you on the Isle?” 

Myra scoffed, rolling her eyes at Richie like he was the most idiotic person in the world- which she actually believed at times and often voiced as such- but explained nonetheless. “You’re my brother, dumbass, and dumbass number two over here didn’t think to tell me you were going on a stupid adventure or whatever without saying anything so here I am. And I brought Betty. So there.”

Richie smirked down at Myra, the shit-eating grin only growing when her face twisted in disgust. “What?” She snapped, folding her arms over her chest.

“You were worried about me.” Richie teased, drawing out the final ‘e’ and holding back a laugh at the way Myra seemed offended at the accusation, reeling back as he leaned in closer to her. He moved swiftly, wrapping Myra tightly in his arms, possibly even more so than Eddie. “My little sis  _ cares _ about me!” He cooed as Myra screamed her opposition. 

“ _ No I don’t! _ Do you know how fucking annoying Eddie and these other losers would be if you were gone? They’d be insufferable and I’d have to deal with it so this is actually really selfish of me.”

“You were worried about me! You’re such a sweet sister!”

_ “Get your paws off of me, Goldilocks!” _

As the pair continued to squabble, Eddie turned to where Bev was chatting animatedly to Bill, Stan, Ben, Betty, and Mike. The last of the group seemed to be barely paying attention though, leafing through his tomes in a rather frantic manner. He had curled in on himself, hiding the contents of the pages from the rest of the group and occasionally glancing up at the others to ensure that they weren’t paying him any mind. Eddie had never seen Mike that way before, so engrossed in the pages it was if they were talking to him. Something about it wasn’t right, why weren’t any of the others noticing this? Were they so enveloped in reunions with people they had seen only hours before that they couldn’t see that Mike was  _ sweating _ while he  _ read _ ? That he was darting his eyes over the pages so quickly that there was no way he was truly comprehending the words? Mike stopped on a page for a long time, but when it appeared that he had finished the pages, his dark gaze simply flickered to the top and started again. 

“Mike? You okay buddy?” The boy in question whipped his head up almost inhumanly quickly, smiling at Eddie as if he were looking right through him as he choked out a ‘just fine, Eddie,’ after a beat. Something didn’t feel right though. Some combination of the tone in which he said it and the wide, slight ferality of the smile sent a chill down Eddie’s spine.

“Guys...back away from Mike. Now.” Eddie demanded, grabbing onto Richie’s arm as he backed into him. The others met him with looks of confusion but didn’t hesitate to follow what he said. “Mike” pulled a look of sad curiosity that oozed false pretences for a brief moment before his head tilted to the side and a crooked, horrid smile engulfed his features. 

“Well, well, well!” The new voice spewed forth from Mike’s lips, the smile he wore staying on around the words that came forward more easily now, “If it isn’t my  _ favorite  _ band of misfits!” The voice was distinctly feminine, high-pitched with an odd accent laced into the words and a certain, constant, shrill lilt. To anyone else, the voice would seem almost random in nature, just a female voice with no discernable true location. To the VKs, it was clear who had made a puppet of their friend, someone who had found ways to worm her way into Mike’s brain years ago and would not stop any time soon. 

“Yzma.” 

“An astute observation, Richard, glad to see your brain is still functioning.” Yzma’s voice goaded, clashing sharply with Mike’s visibly twitching form. The VKs had spent the most time rescuing Mike from his mother’s unwanted reappearances, but even Eddie could see that Mike was trying as hard as he could to fight against Yzma’s control. Tears left their marks as they slipped down his cheeks, his eyes starting to redden around the edges.

“Say what you came to say and let Mike be, Yzma.” Bev commanded, pushing Eddie and Richie back with one arm as she stepped forward. 

An awkward, choppy laugh echoed through their safe haven, and Mike’s head drooped forward ever so slightly. “Fine then. Since I can see I’m not welcome...I’ll leave you be. But be careful what you wish for.” A final, deep shudder racked Mike’s body, and with a bright blue flash in his dark eyes, he slumped onto the couch, the three remaining VKs letting out triplet sighs of relief. The Auradon kids however…

“ _ What the actual fuck just happened?!”  _ Stan yelled, rushing over to where Mike laid on the couch and dropping to his knees beside him and taking his face gently in his hands before turning to look at the VKs, all of whom wouldn’t meet his eyes, “Why are all of you just  _ standing there _ ?”

Bill sighed, moving over to take one of his boyfriend’s hands and smiling down at him. “Frost, I’m s-sorry to t-tell you this…i-i-isn’t exactly the f-first time that Yzma has sh-shown up through Mike. It’s why B-B-Beverly egged her on. The less time she’s h-here,” He extended his other hand to wipe the tear tracks off of Mike’s cheeks, “the less p-p-pain he goes through f-fighting her off. She’s n-never completely t-t-taken him over, but we’d all b-be l-l-lying if we said we weren’t t-t-terrified that sh-she will one d-day.” The pair stayed tucked under Mike’s arm in complete silence, the only noise being the soft sounds of Mike’s labored breathing and Ben’s leg shaking restlessly. 

“We need to get Georgie and get the fuck out of here before anything else happens. Some of us have to stay here with Mike, and I think it should be Myra and Betty.” The two moved to protest, along with Bill and Stan, but Richie quickly shushed them with a hand. “They know the least about the Isle, and they don’t have powers to protect them like Stan.”

“That sounds pretty fair,” Eddie started, only to be cut off immediately by Richie.

“You too, Eds.”

Eddie’s expression twisted into one of a sort of indignant anger...at least he tried to make it seem so, to everyone else in the room it was just adorable. “Why do I have to stay?! I can handle myself, Chee!” He whined, pushing weakly against Richie’s chest, earning a fond smile from his boyfriend. 

“Yep, you can handle yourself, which is why during the last battle you were in, I had to heal you-”

“I was frozen in time!”

“Mhmm, you were, because you were a villain’s target, and if anyone else sees you, you’ll be a target again. Plus,” Richie leaned in closer, one arm around Eddie’s waist to bring their chests flush together as he whispered in his ear, “Eds, if anything happened to you because I put you in harm’s way, I wouldn’t know how to live with myself.” With those final words, he pressed a kiss to Eddie’s temple and pulled away, leaving a short, red-faced prince in his wake. Beverly had apparently been gathering extra supplies that had been left in the safe haven while Richie settled who would be staying. Eddie couldn’t help but notice how reluctant Bill and Stan were to leave Mike’s side. 

“Alright!” Richie called out, getting the group’s attention, “It’s rescue time. Myra, Betty, and Eds, take care of Mike. We’ll be back before you know it.” The group moved out of the loft, and for the first time, outside of his friends’ company, Eddie felt the chill of the Isle.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love putting foreshadowing in every chapter.
> 
> As always, feel free to message me on Insta! @silentmusiic


	7. A Girl Worth Fighting For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus and the fact that this is so short BUT I'm giving you some fluff, as a treat. 
> 
> Don't get used to it.

Having to sneak around the Isle when they hadn’t done so in almost a year proved to be harder than they thought. 

Greta’s gang knew they were back, so word of their return spread like wildfire. They were constantly surrounded by whispers and disbelieving remarks as the five of them slunk through the shadows, taking every back alley- even though the whole island was like a back alley- and every possible alternative to the beaten path as they made their way closer and closer to where Hans ran his weaponry. Using “ran” loosely, it was more like he owned it, took all the profits, and forced Bill and Georgie to handle the day to day operations. It was just another way to make the boys suffer at their father’s hands.

When they were only one street away, Richie stopped the group. 

“Bill, you and I are gonna go get Georgie. Everyone else, stay out of sight unless we call for you. We’ll only need backup if things get messy.” The group seemed to come to a consensus, and Richie and Bill left them to stay tucked away under an abandoned building’s fire escape.

The sign that hung above the entrance to Hans’ Open-Door Armory was as garish as the man himself. The oversized Southern Isle Kingdom crest served as the backdrop for two large, crossed swords, the name of the shop squeezed into the spaces the swords left. Bill hated the thing, but of course it was his father’s favorite thing in the world, boasting about how it was hand-painted and used magic ink courtesy of the Isle’s resident cecaelia to make it just right.

Richie pushed open the front door slowly, all too aware of its tendency to create an ungodly loud squeak if opened too quickly. It was how Hans made sure the boys actually went to the store when he told them to. One squeak at 5:30 AM to open, one squeak at 10:30 PM to close. Like clockwork. Not that Georgie and Bill didn’t figure this system out early on and find ways to work around it. 

As the pair peeked into the shop, they found Georgie, thankfully alone, sweeping up the shop with his back to the door. Seeing that no one else was around took a massive weight off of their shoulders, and the two took a moment to plot a bit of a surprise for the kid. Richie motioned for Bill to sneak around the shop, out of Georgie’s peripheral vision, while Richie got his attention. 

Bill started to move into the store and when he was just about halfway, creeping along the wall, Georgie stood up ramrod straight. Richie purposefully squeaked the door to get his attention. “Who’s there?!” Georgie demanded, whipping around and pointing the broom handle at Richie as if it were a weapon. His face softened from anger to gleeful surprise as he noticed who he was threatening.

“Richie!” The boy called out, dropping the broom with a loud thump as he ran to Richie and jumped into his waiting arms.

“Hey little man! How’s my favorite mini VK?” Richie asked, inwardly proud of himself for still being able to settle the kid onto his hip even though Georgie had grown significantly in the time they were away. He took a moment to note that Georgie didn’t wince or show any signs of pain when Richie hugged him or picked him up, and he thanked every deity in existence for that small fact.

“I’m great! How’s Auradon? Is it as cool as it looks? What’re Stan, Eddie, and Ben like? I see you guys all the time on TV! Are you really a prince now? How’s Billy?” The boy continued to rattle off question after question, and as he spoke Bill crept closer to the two. 

“Well, I can answer all of those later, as for Bill, why don’t you ask him yourself?” Richie watched as Georgie’s eyes lit up at the idea of seeing his brother and he let out a joyous squeal when Bill pulled Georgie from Richie’s arms and spun around with him. It was a truly adorable sight even with the darkness of the Isle ever encroaching upon them. 

“Billy! You’re here! I can’t believe you’re here! You have to tell me all about Auradon!” Georgie squealed, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around his brother’s neck and staying pressed against his chest. Bill laughed softly, but still shushed the boy in his arms.

“Qu-Quiet down, Georgie, if we’re g-g-gonna sneak you into Au-Auradon, you’re g-gonna have to b-b-be quiet.” Bill whispered, a clear smile spreading on his face giving away his excitement. Richie couldn’t help the grin that fought its way onto his lips at the way Georgie’s eyes widened and he dove back into a hug with his brother. 

“I’m gonna go to Auradon, Billy?” Georgie whispered, only just loud enough that Richie could hear it, too. 

“Y-Yeah, you’re g-g-going to Auradon, b-buddy.” There was a brief moment, when the brothers looked at each other, and between them was only love and relief to be reunited, “Let’s go home.” The trio walked out of the armory all smiles. The rest of their group was exactly where they had left them and Richie felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders upon seeing them all safe and sound. Bill lowered Georgie to the ground, attempting to hide him slightly in the flowing capes that trailed behind the group even as he held his hand protectively in his grip. 

The group passed in shadows, trying and failing to ignore the questioning glances and whispers of gossip that still echoes through the streets. Everything seemed so easy. Almost too easy. Surely Greta would’ve planned something, someway to intervene and keep them trapped here, on the Isle where she could control them. She always liked playing puppetmaster, so why was she letting them go? Questions turned through Richie’s mind throughout their journey, and when they finally reached the door to the safe haven, Richie felt for a moment as if their journey could possibly be coming to its end.

And then that moment ended.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on Insta at @silentmusiic !


	8. Almost There (Reprise)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Almost there...
> 
> Almost there...
> 
> I was almost..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all were mad about the last one so uh,,,,,I'm so sorry.

Richie always hated the docks. 

Not for any sort of rational cause, but for what they represented. You’re supposed to leave a dock, sail away on a ship to a better life, a better chance. Docks were a start for the rest of the world. 

On the Isle, they were an end. 

Whoever decided just how big the magic shield covering the Isle would be, either by purposeful action or by simple accident, managed to cut off the longest dock of the Isle with barely an inch of wood left to walk before meeting the open divide. It was a cruel, cruel joke on those who had yet to explore the port completely. They would see a long walk, run to just once be able to swim in the water that surrounded them, and be met with a blast from the shield, pushing them back onto the cold, unforgiving wood. The docks were a trick. 

So yeah, Richie hated them. A fact which Greta knew all too well. 

“Greta! Get your fucking ass out here and show yourself!” He called out, looking to the ship that had never moved and likely would never push through waters outside of the Isle’s bounds. It was outwardly empty, but Riche knew Greta, and knew damn well that she would try to make some sort of grand entrance before she and her goons got their fucking asses beat. And after what she did, there was no way Richie was leaving without blood. 

The moment the rescue team stepped foot into the now vacant safe house, their mood shifted drastically. The six immediately began their search for any evidence as to where their friends were, and after some time, Ben stumbled upon the note that was stuck to the back of the door- which is a stupid fucking place to put a ransom note, Greta. The note demanded that all of them report to the docks at sundown if they didn’t want Eddie, Mike, Myra, and Betty thrown into the divide in shackles. With sundown being only thirty minutes after they found the note, they had very little time left to prepare, but did so nonetheless. Richie knew that his backpack that had been left in the safehouse when they went to Auradon had enough weapons for them to use against Greta’s gang, but also knew that facing Greta armed from the start was not the way to approach her. Greta liked to play games, and showing their hand too early would only put them in more danger than they needed. 

So here they stood, on the edge of the docks, ready to fight for the lives of the ones they loved by any means necessary. 

Greta stepped out from the captain’s cabin of the ship, looking all too proud of herself for getting this far. Trailing behind her were, as usual, Henry and Patrick. She leaned over the railing of the ship to address Richie, wearing a sickening smirk all the while.

“Rich! So great to see you! What can I do for ya?” Her voice was syrupy, languid in a way that contrasted harshly with the faces the VKs and Auradonians were returning. 

“You know damn well why we’re here. Where are they?!” Richie demanded, taking a step forward and onto the plank that connected the ship to the dock. Slowly, as if a metamorphosis were occurring before their very eye, Greta’s expression lost its levity, hardening into something dark. 

“I just wanna have some fun, Rich, but you had to go and ruin a good time. It’s admirable really, the lengths you’ll go to for them. But just think about it. How many times have they cringed thinking about us here on the Isle? How many jokes have been made at our expense? You’ll never be one of them, Richie, none of us will. We rot on this island until we can’t be healed anymore and then...and then we’re rotten. We rot and we die here unknown by anyone other than the other garbage on this island. But you,” Greta pulled out her dagger and pointed it casually at Richie, “you got out,” she laughed bitterly at that, “By some grace of the universe  _ you _ were chosen to go to Aura-fucking-don. You went to the perfect kingdom and met the fucking prince and  _ fell in love _ and then, the cherry on top of the fuck-you-Isle sundae is that,  _ surprise,  _ you’re not even an Isle kid by blood. You’re a bonafide  _ prince. _ You got everything but it  _ still  _ wasn’t enough! You just  _ had  _ to come back and take a little bit more from this place. And now...now…” she let the knife fall slightly, and it was only then that Richie noticed that while she was speaking, Patrick and Henry had brought out a bound Eddie, “you’re gonna get us off this Isle, or we turn your boytoy into fish food.”

As Greta spoke, Richie could feel the anger rising up within him, the way that he had felt as Eddie yelled before. He pushed against the threat of his glow overtaking him, felt the way his eyes had to be flashing. He wanted to let go, wanted to lose control and tear into Greta’s gang with everything he had but something...something held him back. He shoved the glow away, inhaled it into his lungs and breathed it away. Richie refocused his attention on the scene that was unfolding before him. Greta had her knife pressed flatly underneath Eddie’s chin, and her gaze was trained on Richie.

“You all got in here somehow. You give that shit to me, and I’ll let Princey here go, along with the other Auradorks and Magic Mike.” Greta threatened, pressing the blade ever so slightly into Eddie’s skin. 

“Greta, the only way we got into the barrier was through a potion that Mike made. We don’t know any other way to get in.” Richie explained, his breathing shallow as the glow got harder and harder to keep tamped down as he watched Eddie squirm in the combined grasp of Greta, Henry, and Patrick. 

“Sounds like you owe us a potion then. Unless you plan on putting up a fight for your boy?” 

Richie let go.

And everything went black.

The darkness was warm, comforting. It felt so far away from the chill of every previous flare up of the glow. Where that darkness had frozen him, entrapped him, this void wrapped around him like a hug, comforted him. 

There was a voice.

“Your life is not your own.”

His life was not his own.

“Listen to the truth.”

The truth is told. 

“I will tell you your story as it is meant to be.”

He listened. 

A new voice. Yet familiar.

“I’m sorry...I-I don’t feel the same.”

Another.

“You will always be a villain. You’re not my son.”

“Just a villain.”

“Not my brother.”

“Just a villain.”

“I’ll never love you.”

“Just a villain.”

He was a villain.

Just a villain.

He woke up.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Price of Family! If you want to scream about It or Descendants or anything in betweeen, message me on my Instagram, @silentmusiic, I’d love to hear from you all!!


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